At the conclusion of the 2008 election, I made a philosophical decision to be fair to our new President. I had held my nose and voted for John McCain, if only in recognition of his service and time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Sarah Palin’s presence on the ticket made the vote a little easier, but Senator McCain was and is the sort of so called “centrist” Republican I cannot tolerate. We’ve seen this sort of politician for a long time in Washington. McCain and others campaign on fairly conservative principles, but govern with an accommodation for liberal initiatives that compromises principle. I constitutionally reject the limits on free political speech imposed in Senator McCain’s signature legislation, not to mention how absurd it is for any sane person to cosponsor legislation with Russ Feingold. I was never comfortable with McCain, but I respect his service to our nation. Despite his sins, I knew Senator McCain was light years closer to me politically than Obama.
I could not bring myself to vote for Mr. Obama. He has never served in the United States military, he has never met a payroll or run a business of any size, he had not previously shown superior political acumen, nor had he served in an executive or command position in any organization of any size prior to his election. His adult life had consisted of being a law professor, Illinois state representative, and “community organizer”. I still do not clearly comprehend what “community organizer” means: how large a community, and organized to what degree and for what purpose?
More disconcerting at the time were Obama’s friends and associates. He sat for years in the pew of a church where the good Reverend Wright was spewing anti-American and racist statements. Many of his associates were and are former 1960s hippies with a decidedly anti-American and especially anti-military bent. Mr. Obama did not meet any of the qualifications I personally have set for potential Presidents of the United States. The duties of the President are limited, but chief among them is his role as Commander In Chief of the finest fighting force the world has ever known. It is not a position I would prefer anyone to assume without some measurable form of leadership experience and at minimum some familiarity with our armed forces.
I knew in my heart the results of a liberal Democrat administration would not be positive. Higher taxes and astronomical levels of federal spending always create the same result, and we’ve been down this road before. The Obama administration has not surprised me and shown itself to be at best generally incompetent and misguided. None of the foreign policy or domestic policy initiatives pursued by this White House has achieved the intended result, and in most cases the President’s actions have exacerbated the situation. I was deeply and personally offended by President-elect Obama’s disgraceful joking reference to séances and former First Lady Nancy Reagan, and still am.
Now we face the 2010 midterm elections. Whatever problems the nation has are owned by the current administration, and the people are about to pass their judgment on this President and his policies. We have seen in our nation not a Republican, but rather a conservative ascendency. The Tea Party support for smaller government, lower taxes, and constitutionally limited government is a welcome phenomenon, but to be honest they are finally where I have been politically for more than twenty years. No matter how hard the Democrats strive to make this election an assortment of local races, it is in fact a national referendum on President Obama and the Democrat leadership in Congress. All the numbers point to a lopsided Republican victory resulting in GOP control of the House and possibly the Senate. We shall see, but it is essential to send this President a clear and resounding message of dissatisfaction.
There is not a single policy on which I agree with President Obama. Below I have condensed my opposition into ten salient points. This is the sum of why I believe voters should send new conservative blood to Washington.
10. The Obama administration repeatedly demonstrates puzzling tone deafness toward the American people and their concerns in the midst of historically bad economic conditions. The most glaring examples concern the Presidents poorly managed vacations. Americans generally do not begrudge their Chief Executive ample time out of Washington. All but the propagandists on either extreme realize that the President of the United States is never really “on vacation” as most of us might be. Photo-op activities aside, the President is always in touch and in command. National security communications are maintained at all times. Obama, however, seems to have an uncanny knack for picking the most highbrow spots on the map for his respites. He spent a single overnight in Florida after telling all of us to come on down to the Gulf and spend our hard-earned tourist dollars, and then promptly retreated to Martha’s Vineyard for ten days. That would not be at all unusual or even marginally notable, were he actually from that region, or if the American economy weren’t swirling down the drain. Those ravaged by the current economy are in no mood to see their public officials wallowing in extravagance at taxpayer expense. Ridiculously high taxes imposed by every level of a constantly expanding government and the loss of millions of jobs despite record amounts of federal spending have not surprisingly created a sour mood in middle America. Surely the highly skilled media masters who so skillfully ran the President’s 2008 unicorns and rainbows campaign cannot now be as oblivious to the mood of the country as their management of his time away from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue so far would indicate. The First Lady’s trip to Spain accompanied by a large entourage of buddies staying in swanky digs while using a courtesy call to the King as cover was more politically damaging to Obama than his advisors may have realized. The mainstream media never understood that all the while they were downplaying the issue and offering their undying devotion to Michelle, they were playing more video of the trip. It wasn’t the fact of the trip’s existence, it was the way it looked to those hurting in a deep recession. Meanwhile, the President was staying alone in Chicago. W spent plenty of time in Crawford, but it was his home. Perhaps expecting Obama to clear brush on a ranch is too high a hurdle, but his vacation planners need help. His ten days in New England would have been much better spent in the Gulf of Mexico. Just imagine all the money the stampeding hordes of fawning media could have brought to the local economy.
9. The President has an irrepressible urge to rashly comment on each and every issue at first opportunity, only to be forced to issue a second statement of “clarification” after the facts of the situation are known. He’s acquired a first class sticky wicket in the Ground Zero mosque controversy. The smartest political move for him would have been to follow the American people and say that while he fully supports the right of those involved to build, also suggest that since placing a mosque at that location would do more to inflame passions than build cultural bridges, it would be best to change the location. Instead, the President stands up at a White House Ramadan dinner and offers full support for the building of the mosque to great applause. The next day he further couched his original statement by saying he wasn’t commenting “on the wisdom” of building at that location. It is a recurring theme with this guy: make a bold, unequivocal statement only to be forced to partially or fully retract it later. This sort of equivocation is not a virtue for the leader of the free world in time of crisis when overseas ears are tuned in his direction. We saw this same pattern early in his administration when he accused Cambridge, Massachusetts, police of acting “stupidly” in the arrest of a Harvard professor. “Beer Summit”, anyone? Lost in all the nonsensical conversation about race was the fact that the nation’s chief law enforcer was openly criticizing police and defending an arrestee without fully knowing the facts of the case. Here again it was a local matter that did not require Presidential intervention. Staying out of an issue or two might finally give the President enough time to “focus like a laser” on the economy as promised.
There cannot be any but malevolent and triumphalist intent behind building yet another New York City mosque that close to Ground Zero. Ignorance of that intent indicates a suicidal political correctness and a wishful denial of reality, and the media’s coverage of the issue is well beyond reprehensible. They formulated a template early on to apply to those opposing the mosque: “hateful”, “racist” and “Islamophobic” are the terms applied most often. Is it “hateful” to oppose the establishment of a victory monument near the site of the worst attack on America in our history, and when did Islam become a race? The media decided early on to make the debate about the First Amendment. They refused to acknowledge any concerns outside that limited scope. They would not investigate or question the source of funding or the individuals involved. The concerns of the families who lost loved ones on September 11th, for whom the area is both a graveyard and a memorial, have been callously disregarded. It’s simply another issue where the President holds a view that is in the minority. Attacking and demonizing the majority is seldom a very persuasive argument, but this administration resorts to it frequently.
8. Traditional allies of the United States have deep and legitimate concerns regarding the leadership of this President. Part of Obama’s 2008 campaign was his belittling of George W. Bush for his alleged inability to conduct successful diplomacy, a specious charge to hurl at a wartime President in any event. Are any of our remaining traditional friends fully confident in the foreign or military policy stewardship of this White House? Do any of them really think they can rely on unambiguous support or assistance should they need it in future time of crisis or need? Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have practiced foreign policy in the style of Old Europe: diplomacy first, last and always, concrete results be damned. Their diplomacy has become not a means to an end, but the end itself. Obama’s worldview sees diplomacy as a panacea that can cure all the ills of mankind if only people would listen and be nice to each other. It’s a childish and naïve view of the world that endangers American national security. We all wish that international relations were that simplistic, but the world outside America is full of evil men who wake up every day and stay up late at night plotting new and more terrible ways to kill Americans. Jetting around the world apologizing for America and literally bowing to foreign leaders hasn’t produced the instant waves of adulation and sustained planetary peace Obama apparently expected. In which area of the world has his foreign policy achieved even a discernibly positive track or outcome? It certainly isn’t working with Iran: their nuclear weapons development programs and threats against Israel and the United States continue unabated. The very same can be said of North Korea. Obama’s “outreach” to the Muslim world has produced no new allies and has not changed the battlefield environment for our troops or our few allies. Two years of global bootlicking simply isn’t working for him. Is he too dogmatic to realize policy failures, or is he not perceptive enough to see them? No matter where in the world you look, current and potential allies are unwilling to stick out their collective necks because they doubt the leadership and intestinal fortitude of this President. We sure don’t hear much from Foggy Bottom in the way of bold or innovative policy these days. There isn’t much to say when even your allies don’t know what to make of you and nothing you’ve attempted so far has been at all successful.
7. The President’s management of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster was disappointing and pathetic at best. It was another poorly managed and chronically mishandled crisis that stretched on longer and was made much worse than it would have been had he done absolutely nothing. The President refused to appeal for or accept foreign assistance, his comments concerning the spill were juvenile and inspired absolutely no one, and his administration’s initial response was to start pointing fingers and dispatching lawyers. The assignment of culpability for the incident and the public spanking of BP should have waited until all available resources were marshaled to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf. The few actions the President did take in a timely manner were counterproductive. Ask the oil rig workers thrown out of work for months thanks to Obama’s ridiculous deep water drilling ban. Forcing BP into coughing up $20 billion stretched executive power to the limit and beyond. Texas Representative Joe Barton was right: it was a shakedown. BP did not deserve Barton’s apology, but neither did Barton deserve to be tarred and feathered by his own party. In his own awkward way, Representative Barton made a germane point concerning the constitutional constraints on Presidential power. The GOP should have seized on that point, but it was lost on those driving to punish big business instead of offering full support in an emergency. It was sad to see the situation unfold day after agonizing day, even though it was somewhat gratifying to see the President finally take some real heat from the media. Had he received the full glare of the spotlight his ineptness deserved, the kitchen might have gotten a lot warmer. Fortunately for him the media had his back, as usual. President Obama is lucky the spill didn’t last any longer than it did: it was starting to become his media equivalent to Carter’s hostage crisis as the days were counted out and volume estimates for the spill varied widely. As soon as the flow of oil was stopped, so did the coverage and discussion. None of the elitist cocktail party liberals claiming to be actual reporters can bring themselves to offer even mildly negative coverage of this administration for long.
6. The expiration of the Bush tax cuts at the beginning of 2011 looms. In typical Democrat fashion, the President and his tax and spend minions will not miss the opportunity to handpick winners and losers. Obama peddles his tax increases using class warfare as liberals have done for decades. His acolytes in the media never mention that most small businesses file as individuals, and thus tax increases on the “rich” are increases largely on small businesses. Those very same small businesses are responsible for the bulk of new job creation, and right now they only see one certainty: a massive tax increase. Additional administrative requirements and Obamacare are already being shoved down their throat. Businesses large and small simply cannot predict what additional taxation and burdensome regulation they might face next. Little wonder businesses of all size are hoarding cash and keeping their investment power on the sideline for now. Gutless House Speaker Nancy Pelosi marched Congress out of town for fall recess without voting on extension of the cuts, an irresponsible and purely political move that denied voters an opportunity to know where their elected Representatives stand on the subject immediately before voting takes place. Obama has proposed an extension of the cuts only for those making less than $250,000 per year, a plan that ignores small businesses and can only worsen the economy. The Dems keep peddling the false notion that an extension of already existing cuts result in a “cost” to the government. If they can sneak that one by you, their next question usually regards how to “pay” for the extension. This is nothing but doublespeak. The cuts that are already in place represent revenues the government simply will not collect and not some form of expenditure. There is no formulation that requires them to be “paid” for: it is equivalent to asking an hourly employee how he plans to “pay” for the raise they never received. It is yet another hole in liberal logic that is continually peddled by the left as gospel truth. Current economic conditions do not allow for any further tax increase in any segment or on any individual regardless of income. The first order of business for a new Republican Congress should be to extend all of the cuts for at least five years, if not permanently.
It boils down to this: twice in the last fifty years or so, we have tried the small government, low taxes model, and twice now we have tried the big government, high taxes model. Both John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan reduced taxes across the board and especially at the higher end. Both created massive job growth and actually increased revenues to the federal government. Jimmy Carter was a liberal big spender, and his policies created the “misery index” and malaise of the late 1970s. While it’s true that the national debt was sizable before Obama’s term, his rate of spending is nearly six times that of the last administration. Now over $13 trillion, we simply cannot sustain this rate of spending. Now he hopes to raise taxes to pay for his gargantuan federal government programs.
This administration’s record on the economy is abysmal, and the President owns it now. His recent admission that there is no such thing as a “shovel ready” job in a federal program is abhorrent. Obama used that phrase hundreds of times to sell his policies to the American people, and he now admits it simply doesn’t exist. What is he saying now to peddle his liberal dog food that he’ll have to confess later isn’t true?
5. President Obama’s Iraq speech broadcast live from the Oval Office was a colossal failure. It is abundantly clear this President would prefer to concentrate on domestic issues and that he sees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a distraction and nuisance. The speech was billed as a statement on the end of combat operations in Iraq. It became a laundry list that lacked a single statement regarding the proper use of American power, contained no inspiring words for the Iraqi people, and completely failed in tone and language. Here was a chance for a man who opposed the war and especially the surge to recognize the victory that was achieved despite his opposition. Operations in Iraq succeeded despite Joe Biden’s proposal to divide Iraq along ethnic lines, despite Harry Reid’s declaration that the war is “lost”, and despite a general lack of support for our armed forces displayed by the left and the Dems in Congress throughout the war. Most of them voted for the war resolution. They claim solidarity with the troops when it suits their political agenda, but for them that does not extend to providing financial and other support to American forces engaged in combat in a timely manner. Obama couldn’t even deign to say more than the minimum in recognition of George W. Bush, even though it was his steadfast resolve in the face of hateful and uninterrupted opposition that led to victory. This President is clearly in over his head in general, but especially when it comes to military policy. He missed an opportunity to rise above partisanship and fully recognize an American military victory achieved at great sacrifice to our armed forces. Adding comments on economic policy in this venue was inappropriate. Worse yet, Obama insinuated the war was partially responsible for current economic problems. The numbers simply don’t back that up, and he knows it.
4. President Obama is twenty months into the job, and he still isn’t man enough to take ownership of it. He went around the country less than two years ago begging for the position. His rhetoric was soaring, never mind the generalities. This guy really wanted to be President of the United States. Here we are nearly half way into his first term, and he’s still blaming Bush. It’s become something of a joke among regular folks: anything that goes wrong is satirically blamed on Bush. “It’s Bush’s fault,” has become a punch line. This administration needs to step up to the plate and accept responsibility. The Iraq War is not the cause of unemployment, despite Obama’s claims: his “stimulus” program cost more than the entire war. Obama has had long enough to enact whatever programs his lackeys in Congress could muster, and they simply haven’t worked. The blame is Obama’s. Every President inherits all kinds of problems from previous administrations, and at some point they have to take on the issue on and own it. Belly up to the bar, Mr. President.
3. Obamacare is an assault on liberty. See, you aren’t smart enough to care for yourself. You clearly need a large federal government to swaddle you and address your every physical, spiritual, and financial need from cradle to grave. The first step to achieving that system is to have the government take over health care. The flaws in this monstrosity are too many to list, so suffice to say it will hopefully be repealed by a Republican Congress at first opportunity. It would be a terrible burden for our doctors and nurses and an economic burden on the entire nation should it become fully functional. Its passage was rife with corruption, and polls now consistently show a strong majority in favor of repeal. We do have significant problems with our health care system, but they will be solved only by legislation that allows the free market to function with severely limited government interference and not by a socialization of the entire field. The last thing we need now is a federal government that is constantly expanding in size and scope.
2. President Obama is perilously close to losing the Afghanistan war. His insistence on a pinpoint date for withdrawal of American forces to satisfy the far left in his party only encourages the enemy to endure until we are gone. The diplomatic representatives he claims are so key to the effort have been completely useless and ineffective. He has not competently dealt with any of the problems presented by Pakistan, and we are unlikely to see any progress until something is done to stop the flow of men and weapons across the border and into Afghanistan. The danger of Paki nuclear weapons falling into the hands of Al Qaeda remains. Our Commander in Chief hasn’t even accurately defined what victory looks like. The only positive development in the war under this administration was the selection of General David Petraeus to lead allied forces in Afghanistan. Petraeus is a proven commander who led first the 101st Airborne Division and then all allied forces to victory in Iraq. He is the author of the Army counterinsurgency strategy, and if anyone can win this thing, it’s Petraeus. President Obama’s first step should be to define the terms of victory: Afghan government that can protect itself from internal and external threats, secure its borders to prevent Taliban insurgency, and prevent the country from becoming a base for Al Qaeda as it was before September 11th and the resulting American invasion. For our national interest, it need be no more complicated than that. Achieving even those limited goals would be a major accomplishment. The President should rescind his July 2011 date for withdrawal of American forces and instead declare that operations will continue until we are victorious. Otherwise the enemy will simply hole up and wait for our departure. A reasonable amount of time and effort should be expended to improve the situation in Pakistan, but if it fails, the President should be prepared to seize Paki nuclear weapons by force if necessary. What the war requires is an engaged President who is ready to take swift and decisive action for victory. Obama has not as of yet displayed any of those qualities. He does not have a broad, over-arching strategic vision for fighting terror. Our men and women engaged in combat with the enemy deserve better.
1. Iran is the top state sponsor of terror. Iran also has a nuclear weapons development program. Those two facts alone should have long ago prompted the entire world to unified action, but it has not. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to threaten the existence of Israel. Iran continues to sponsor Hamas forces in Lebanon firing rockets into Israel. Iranian weapons and military supplies have been found with terrorists in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Iran continues to hold two American hikers, now imprisoned over a year, and is threatening to put them on trial for espionage. The chronicles of Iranian funded and supported terrorist attacks on American military and civilians is lengthy and decades long. Is there any nation more likely to pass off a nuclear weapon to Al Qaeda or other terrorists?
President Obama is truly whistling past the graveyard when it comes to Iran. No amount of diplomacy will convince them to halt their support for terrorist causes or their drive for nuclear weapons. Waiting on Old Europe to take further action is a recipe for disaster.
The President is more than willing to set a deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan, but his diplomatic efforts toward Iran have no end. It’s time to set a deadline for Iran to comply with whatever paltry demands the United Nations can muster. If they ignore or fail to comply, the United States and our allies must take military action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Failure to do so could result in the destruction of Israel or the vaporization of an American city.
The first priority of any American President is to protect the American people from foreign attack. Obama is directly endangering our national security by refusing to take any action whatsoever concerning Iran.
By early tomorrow evening we will know how high the expected conservative tidal wave will be and how far west it will roll. If the Senate race in West Virginia goes to the Republican, it will be possible for the GOP to take control of the Senate as well as the House. If we are lucky, there will be a period of gridlock in our nation’s capital and very little will be accomplished. We need Republicans to do their best to oppose and counter whatever this President attempts to enact. Considering what legislation has emerged from our Congress in the past several years, a little gridlock would be a welcome respite for the people.
